Obviously no harvest this season, being it's first. But 100% germination. Healthy, robust plants have withstood an ant invasion (and the aphids they herd), magnesium deficiency, and 35mph winds. I am very impressed with my first venture into artichokes from seed. Thank you!

I love artichokes and these really produce for me. I have them growing as ornamentals throughout my yard. After I've eaten them to the point of being sick of them I let them flower. They are unbelievably beautiful. My neighbors have yet to figure out what the beautiful flowers I grow are. I find them easy to propagate. I just dig 'em separate 'em and replant them in the early fall or in the spring. Here fall is better cause it gives them a chance to root well and bloom in the spring. I fertilize with grass clippings. My worst problem is slugs, they eat out the stalks so
I use lots of slug bait. Other than that I have no problems. I'd like to get enough to be able to freeze them.

Planted from starts in early Spring of 2012 into a raised bed and harvested 8 chokes that Spring. Overwintered them under compost & mulch, and by Spring of 2013 harvested 45 chokes. They are heavy feeders, and lots of compost is a must. Also use coffee grounds to add some acid back to my very alkaline limestone based soil. I also spray with compost tea to help fight the late Summer bugs that tend to overwhelm Texas at that time. Saved one globe for seeds from 2013, and have passed them along to a friend for next year. This is a winner!

I researched these.. and here is what I did to get them to sprout: I put the seeds into my freezer for 1 week. I only used topsoil, and small planting containers, less than a week, they have come up! I am in love! Now I tell them to grow babies, grow!! :) I sure hope I will love these, first time growing, and I am in zone 7b..

I live in Zone 5 and have successfully grown them and harvested big 'chokes the first year by setting them out in the "iffy" weeks prior to danger of frost passing (50-70 degree days and 30-40 degree nights). If it freezes, I bring them in, if it gets too warm, I put in shade. More work, yes, but worth it, because this is the best variety of artichoke of the five that I have grown. I only grow artichokes as an annual and this one outproduces Imperial Star for me when grown as described above. (I think the process is called vernalization).